Hi Fran!

Glad the Iris are doing well - those are very hardy and great growers so give them some room. I have them growing in full sun, sandy soil, sometimes neglect watering, and haven't fertilized them in 3 years. But they bloom abundantly. I will probably have more to give away at the fall swap because I must drastically thin out that patch!

The stuff I got at the swap is doing great! I love the California poppies, they are just starting to bloom abundantly. I would describe their colors as more creamy than white and a muted purply-pink than purple.

The Cosmos are getting HUGE (3 feet) even though I've pinched them a couple times, and they aren't really blooming yet (only a bloom or two). I left your tags next to the base and can't wait to see how pretty they are gong to be when they're in full bloom.

The nasturtiums are also blooming. The gazania, rudbeckia, and scabiosa ochroleuca I received are getting nicely established.

I am totally sold on winter-sowing and can't wait to do some next year.

Fran, glad to hear you're doing well! My four o'clocks are huge-- no blooms yet, but they sure are happy plants. The poppies are blooming now, very lovely. The vinca is well established, which is good because it took forever to plant. :)

One of the yellow irises from terrene bloomed in the ground-- very lovely! Then the rain nuked the bloom :P but the plants are fine.

Oh, and whoever gave me the eggplant-- it's huge and thriving and has had several flowers. Hopefully it'll set fruit soon.

Sue, WS is the way to go. Yes the Calif. poppies are not as they where described by the seed Co. Pretty and I like them but was expecting the bright purple and real white as was described. Guess we shouldn't believe the descriptions that they give us. Have quite a few plants now that aren't blooming the color described. Wish they would be more honest with us though.
My cosmos where really tall too, but todays storms have knocked them down and some stems have broken off. Saves me from a bit of pruning, so can't complain about that. Just wait till the fall, when it cools just a bit. They will take off like rockets and be the real star of the gardens till the frost gets them and you will have lots of seeds for trades and WS next year.
Forgot to move my nasturtiums out of the full sun, so lost a few of them, but the rest are doing fine.
My gazania are in a pot an just saw some buds on them. Strange leaves on them, have you noticed that if the leaves twist a bit they have a real "wrong side to them"?

Greening, glad those vinca got in. I remember you originally said you wanted about 50 of them. Mine are blooming again. I complained last week that I missed seeing the lavender flowers on them and said to my daughter, "they must miss the car tires going over them." She went out and moved her car right over them out on the street then, drove over them again and came back. Low and behold, they are blooming again. Must be those car tires they need to bloom.
No blooms on my 4 o'clocks either yet but are really large in pots. Moved them last week to be beside some roses and hibiscus because I saw some Jap beetles on them. Few holes in the 4 o'clock leaves but no more japanese beetles. I find the combo works every time.
Still have poppies blooming including the calif. ones. Will be interested to see if these rebloom all summer. My yellow calif. ones have done this every year for the past 3 years. This is my first time with the other ones though.

They make lots of seeds so watch for their pods. They look like long giant needles. Just wait till the pods are all brown and dry. Then take them off and let them finish drying inside and pop them open. The seeds are small but easy to get, not like regular poppies that have the tiny little things and some are like dust.

Still have seedlings if anyone is interested and alot more iris for the digging and taking.

Fran

Greening, forgot to tell you that the little rose bush is doing well. Gave it a very harsh "haircut", some fresh miracle grow and back in the pot it went. 4 weeks later it is lush and full of leaves and 8 new buds that should open soon.
Will post some pics as soon as the rain ends and get outside.

Fran

All the potted things I WANTED to bring are still thriving...

Good to know you're on the mend, Fran..

Thanks, Chelone, we missed you at the swap. I know what you
mean about those potted plants. I still have ones left from the swap and they are growing and bloomin. My morning glory are still in their WS containers and starting to bloom. It's just so dang hot and now the humidity is coming. feels like I will never get them in the ground.

Anyone still want plants left from the swap?